A blast fragmentation type warhead is designed to be carried by a missile and is used to destroy enemy missiles, aircraft, re-entry vehicles, and other targets. When the missile carrying the warhead reaches a position close to an enemy missile or other target, a pre-scored or pre-made band of metal on the warhead is detonated and pieces of metal are accelerated with high velocity and strike the target. See the textbook by the inventor hereof, R. Lloyd, “Conventional Warhead Systems Physics and Engineering Design,” Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics (AIAA) Book Series, Vol. 179, ISBM 1, 56347-255-4, 1998, incorporated herein by this reference, which provides additional details on conventional blast and pre-made fragmentation type warheads and other types of warheads.
The fragments of the blast fragmentation type warhead, however, are not always effective at destroying the target and biological bomblets and/or chemical submunition payloads can survive and still cause heavy casualties.